DONNELLY, ID –The Stibnite Foundation has selected its first ever round of grant recipients after reviewing more than 40 applications. The Stibnite Foundation Board awarded $50,000 in grants to 14 organizations across Cascade, Council, Donnelly, McCall, New Meadows, Riggins and Yellow Pine.
“We were very impressed by the caliber of the applications we received and how many organizations applied for funding from the Stibnite Foundation during our first grant cycle,” said Bob Crump, president and spokesperson for the Stibnite Foundation. “We are so excited to be supporting important causes and projects in our region and we cannot wait to see the full impacts of our funding unfold. We hope it will help these organizations expand their reach and have an even greater impact in our communities.”
To apply for funding, organizations had to be located in Adams County, southern Idaho County or Valley County and have tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.
Here is a look at the organizations and projects that were selected by the Stibnite Foundation:
The Cascade Medical Center requested funding to purchase a new hematology analyzer. The machine will allow the staff to continue to have rapid access to blood test results from its own lab. This information can determine if patients are suffering from infections, anemia or low platelet counts, which can help determine the appropriate course of treatment.
The City of Cascade received funding to pave half a mile of the Strand Trail, a popular walking trail in town. Paving this section will connect the path with another paved mile of trail, make the trail accessible year-round and safer for visitors and elderly residents by removing the path’s existing ruts.
The City of New Meadows requested funding to purchase the necessary equipment to host public meetings online. During the pandemic, the city realized the shortfalls of its current systems and the need to make it possible for its citizens to meaningfully participate in local government from the comfort and safety of their own home.
The Beyond the Mountain’s Project is designed to help replace worn books in the Council Elementary School. Currently, most of the books in the school were copyrighted between 1950 to 1990. The grant will help the school purchase new books for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Courageous Kids Climbing provides children and adults with special needs opportunities to experience climbing, ice skating and other activities to help them improve their focus and problem-solving skills. The organization requested funding to purchase skate trainers to help more individuals it serves to safely find their balance during its annual ice skating event.
The Donnelly Food Pantry serves between 600 to 1,000 individuals each week. They plan to use grant money from the Stibnite Foundation to purchase fresh eggs and milk, so they can provide these items to their clients each week and ensure they have a steady supply of nutritious staples.
The Donnelly Public Library District has seen the limitations of its current desktop computers for the past several years. The computers can no longer run some of the latest software applications, making it impossible to serve patrons full needs. The library is requesting funding in order to purchase four new computers.
Friends of the Council Valley Free Library received funding to help purchase a new computer for the library and update the sidewalks to increase public safety. The library offers free computer access, Internet, copiers and printers to community members. These resources are all heavily used.
The McCall Winter Sports Club requested funding to purchase more gates and panels for its young racers to hone their skills on the ski slopes. In recent years, the program has grown so much that there hasn’t been enough equipment for the athletes to properly train at the same time. The program is designed to instill Idaho values in hard-working kids.
The Meadows Valley Public Library is used by more than 12,000 individuals each year, many of the patrons are young children, senior citizens or individuals with disabilities. Currently, the library’s front doors do not open automatically, the sidewalk to the building is uneven and there is not a handicap accessible ramp from the parking lot. Money from the Stibnite Foundation will be used to make improvements to all of these areas, in order to make the library more accessible for everyone in the community.
The Meadows Valley School District has been working to build a greenhouse and pollinator garden for the community to enjoy for the past couple of years. Now that the plants are flourishing, the school district wants to use this area to inspire learning through place-based curriculum. The funds from the Stibnite Foundation will be used to help develop hands on learning opportunities for elementary-age students.
The Salmon River Senior Center offers a transportation service for elderly community members to help them get to doctor’s appointments, the pharmacy and grocery store. The group requested help paying down the loan on its 15-passgenger van, which is critical to the daily operations of the organization.
The Stibnite Foundation is providing funding to help update and kitchen at Shepherd’s Home. The organization provides a loving home for abused and neglected children. After serving countless meals in the kitchen over the past 22 years, cabinets, hardware, countertops, lighting and appliances need updating or to be replaced to ensure the kitchen remains functional.
As the number of visitors in Yellow Pine have continued to grow, the Yellow Pine Area Corporation has outgrown its Community Hall. Each year, the Community Hall hosts more than 2,000 people at various events. The Yellow Pine Area Corporation requested funds to help purchase a storage shed to create more space within the Community Hall.
The Stibnite Foundation will open grant applications again next spring. Keep an eye on www.StibniteFoundation.com for the latest information on available grants and progress updates from the 2020 grant recipients.
# # #